derribar Imperfect Subjunctive Conjugation
derribar — to knock down
The imperfect subjunctive (e.g., 'derribara', 'derribase') expresses past hypotheticals or wishes.
derribar Imperfect Subjunctive Forms
When to Use the Imperfect Subjunctive
This tense is great for talking about hypothetical situations in the past, like 'If I had knocked down the wall...' or expressing wishes that were unlikely or contrary to past fact: 'I wish he would have knocked it down.'
Notes on derribar in the Imperfect Subjunctive
'Derribar' is regular in the imperfect subjunctive, both in the '-ra' and '-se' forms. For example, 'derribara' and 'derribase' are both correct.
Example Sentences
Si yo derribara la casa, ¿qué harías?
If I were to knock down the house, what would you do?
yo
Ojalá él derribase el muro antes de que llegáramos.
I wish he would have knocked down the wall before we arrived.
él/ella/usted
Era importante que ustedes derribaran la torre vieja.
It was important that you (plural) knocked down the old tower.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect indicative instead of imperfect subjunctive.
Correct: For hypotheticals or wishes about the past, use 'derribara' or 'derribase', not 'derribaba'.
Why: The indicative describes facts or reality, while the subjunctive handles doubt, emotion, and hypotheticals.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on the '-ra' forms.
Correct: Forms like 'derribara' need the accent on the 'a' for clarity, though it's often omitted in casual speech.
Why: The accent helps distinguish the imperfect subjunctive from other verb forms and indicates stress.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'derribar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: derribo
Present tense 'derribo', 'derribas', etc., describes current or habitual actions.
Preterite
yo: derribé
The preterite of 'derribar' is regular: derribé, derribaste, derribó, derribamos, derribasteis, derribaron.
Imperfect
yo: derribaba
Imperfect 'derribaba' describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Future
yo: derribaré
Future tense 'derribaré', 'derribarás' etc., predicts or expresses probability.
Conditional
yo: derribaría
Conditional 'derribaría' expresses hypotheticals ('would') or polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: derribe
Present subjunctive (e.g., 'derribe') is used for wishes, doubts, and emotions.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: derriba
Use imperative forms like 'derriba' (tú) for direct commands with 'derribar'.
Negative Imperative
yo: no derribes
Negative commands use 'no' + present subjunctive forms, like 'no derribes' (tú).